Outlaw Queen One-Shot
by MoreThanWants
Summary: Just a little...well, one shot featuring two of our favorite battered souls. I couldn't think of a suitable title so I just kept what I labeled it as in my notebook. Hope you enjoy!


She was hot. Almost unbearably so, and everything felt heavy, like it was being smothered against her. Something firm but sift and warm was under her neck, cradling her head and shoulders. Breath came easy, but the air was warm and thick, not at all like the simple comfortable heat of the Council Chamber (kept that way by request of an ever expanding Snow), or the chill of the Library. So where the hell was she, and why was she asleep? Regina sighed through her nose, face turning further into whatever pillow was beneath her head.

At the same time her olfactory sensors were picking up the cloying scent of pine sap and damp detritus—more commonly known as 'forest'—her eyes flew open, locking with that of a golden lion rampant on a black field, etched permanently into the wrist of—

"Robin." Her voice grated with disuse—how long had she been asleep?—and she wrenched her eyes away from the mark that had apparently decided to start her waking hour as well over her shoulder to the face and blue, blue eyes of its bearer.

"Regina," answered the Prince of Thieves simply, a small smile creasing his face.

It seemed to hit her then just where she—_they _were and made to sit up, only to immediately clap a hand over her eyes as the world spun under her dizzy spell. "_Gods._ What-?"

"You fell asleep," supplied Robin gently, neither moving to assist nor move out of the bed and away from her.

"When? _Where?"_ Regina added harshly. She'd never live it down is she'd let herself fall asleep at a Council meeting.

"The Library, a few hours ago." The thief seemed content to watch the Former Evil Queen hold her head in her hands and rake her fingers through her hair. "My son found you, and came to me for assistance. I brought you back here."

"And felt inclined to stay?" came a growl from behind Regina's hands.

"You wouldn't let go of my arm," said Robin, and Regina peeked between her fingers at his right arm, firmly trapped between the bed and her neck and shoulders.

"Oh. I apologize." She lifted her head long enough for him to reclaim his arm and shift onto her back. The thief groaned softly as pins and needles overtook the deadened limb and Regina licked her lips and blinked bleary eyes at him for a moment. "When you say a few hours…how long do you mean?" she asked quietly, voice still somewhat raspy from sleep.

Robin thought for a moment, still absently rubbing his arm. "About four, I suppose. Why?"

"I need to get back to work," she announced, trying again to rise from the bed. Another, though lesser, wave of dizziness and the outlaw's gentle arm stopped her.

"You need to _rest_," he said insistently.

"I _need_ to find a way to defeat that _witch_," Regina argued, raising one hand to her eyes again. "I didn't give up the thing I love most just to have everything else torn away by some crazy green hag."

"Regina, let the others handle it—just for a little while," he added hurriedly at her incredulous glare. "Get some more sleep. Six hours."

The Queen scoffed. "Two. And you're lucky I'm even arguing."

The thief arched an eye brow. "Four. That'll give you eight hours total. Almost a full night's sleep."

"Haven't had one of those in years." Regina muttered , but settled down again on her side and felt Robin do the same behind her.

She arched a brow over her shoulder and he said, "I'll stay to make sure you aren't disturbed."

Regina scoffed again and closed her eyes. 

About two hours into her second nap, Robin noticed Regina beginning to twitch. It started in one leg before infecting the other. Her toes curled under the blankets and her knees jerked intermittently, accompanied by quiet whimpers of fragmented words. The twitching spread to her arms and torso, flinching away from him while simultaneously gripping his arm. A broken 'no' passed her lips before he realized this wasn't just any bad dream.

"No…please don't," Regina choked again, twisting away from his body behind hers and digging her nails into his forearm.

"Regina?" Robin murmured, brow furrowing. He didn't move, just raised his head to try and get a look at her face. An agonized grimace contorted her features, and the grip she had on his arm intensified.

"Please…" she begged whatever was terrorizing her.

"Hey, wake up. It's alright, Regina." Robin took her and in his, gritting his teeth against the sting of her nails scoring down his wrist. "It's alright." He squeezed her fingers gently.

Regina's eyes flew open and she gasped, fingers tightening over his in a death grip.

"Regina?"

"R-Robin?" she whispered, turning bewildered brown eyes on his.

"You were having a nightmare," he said gently, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. Her eyes flickered over it, falling on the tattoo on his wrist, and back to his face. "A pretty violent one, or so it appeared."

"I assure you, it was no simple nightmare, nor was it merely violent." Her jaw worked for a moment before she added in a weak whisper, "Now you see why I rarely get a full night's sleep."

Robin frowned and continued rubbing his thumb over her hand. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I didn't—"

"It isn't your fault, Robin," she said, turning her hand in his to grip his fingers. "I've had these dreams for years, it had nothing to do with…this."

"Still, isn't there anything I can do?"

Regina sighed and looked at their hands for a moment. "It's better if…if someone holds my hand." she said meekly.

Robin nodded and squeezed her hand again. "Alright then," he murmured, smiling softly.

She returned the smile. "Thank you," she said, closing her eyes.

He hummed, still stroking the back of her hand.

A few minutes passed and Robin was just about to nod off himself when Regina growled, "Not a word of this, thief, or you will regret it deeply."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Your Majesty."

A/N: Apologies for being so inactive over the last couple months! My sister has a pet rabbit who likes to snack on wires, and one day she ate one of our router cables, so my Internet access has been greatly limited. I am sorry, and I have been writing some during that time, so hopefully I'll be posting a little more often.

On a note more related to the story above than my personal life, have you noticed a lot of my writing is set in bed? I just noticed that today. Maybe I should get out a little more often….


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